After Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was accused of ‘inappropriate behavior’ toward a female colleague last week, former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone had reportedly advised the British boss to resign. The reports then further claimed that Horner refused to step down from his position. However, Ecclestone has now clarified these reports and made it clear that he never asked Horner to resign in the first place.
As per RBR Daily, Ecclestone wrote on his Instagram story, “To clarify reports by newspapers that I had urged or suggested that Christian Horner should step down from his position in Red Bull is entirely UNTRUE“. Moreover, it is pertinent to note that the earlier reports just did not end there.
Bernie Ecclestone has firmly denied any claims that he has advised Christian Horner to step down from his position in Red Bull pic.twitter.com/rNm430431T
— RBR Daily (@RBR_Daily) February 14, 2024
They also claimed that Ecclestone had suggested that since Red Bull is an enormous company, everyone had turned their attention to this issue. Therefore, in his opinion, this case certainly” needs answers.”
Ecclestone’s involvement in the case was weakening the matter for Horner, particularly in the eyes of the fans. This is because Ecclestone has often been criticized for his controversial statements that have brought him a negative reputation. However, following his recent admission, the fans might see the matter differently.
What does Bernie Ecclestone thinks about Christian Horner’s case?
Last Friday, Christian Horner met with an external lawyer in London regarding the investigation. Following that meeting, the barrister requested several days’ time to come out with the final outcome. Therefore, the delay in the outcome of the report means that Christian Horner will be present at the RB20’s launch on Thursday.
| Bernie Ecclestone has advised Christian Horner to step down as team principal in order to avoid further damage to himself and his family.
Stefano Domenicali has called Mark Mateschitz at the request of Liberty Media. The owners of F1 take issues surrounding overstepping… pic.twitter.com/qZwjF8le2N
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) February 12, 2024
However, in the thick of all of this, Bernie Ecclestone has chosen to step in and give Horner some advice. In an interview with AFP on Tuesday, Ecclestone expressed his wish that Horner maintains his composure.
The interference of Ecclestone in the matter is obvious, as both have shared a longtime friendship. Their friendship dates back to the time when Horner first joined Red Bull as the youngest team principal in 2005. In light of that friendship, Ecclestone has pointed out that since the death of Dietrich Mateschitz in 2022, Horner has become a target.
The 93-year-old said, “I feel when Dietrich died, it created a vacuum and several people moved into different positions and saw an opportunity to make up all sorts of stories and hurt him (Horner) so they can engineer his departure and create an opening for themselves.”
While wrapping up, Ecclestone even said that he holds Horner in the highest regard because of the tremendous success the 50-year-old has brought to Red Bull and F1 as a whole.
